Fullerton Democrat Files Papers to Join Race for President

A 63-year-old Fullerton man has entered the race for president, billing himself as the common-sense choice for people who are fed up with political jockeying and government waste.

Democrat Frank Legas paid $1,000 and filed papers Wednesday to be included on the ballot for the New Hampshire primary. Legas, who has lived in Orange County since the early 1970s, said he decided to seek the country's highest political office because he wants to build public trust of the federal government.

"I talked to a number of people, and their general opinion was that they weren't getting from the government what they thought they could," Legas said during a phone interview from Washington. "The biggest issue is the lack of information regarding what the federal government is doing with their tax money. People assume that there's waste."

Legas, who worked in the financial division for ARCO until his retirement in 1993, now spends his time as a private fraud examiner. He and his second wife, Barbara, have seven children.

A native of Illinois, Legas spent six years as a member of a Chicago-area school board in the 1970s. He also has served as a board member for various charitable organizations, including We Care of Los Alamitos and the Precious Life Shelter for homeless and pregnant women in Los Alamitos.

Legas hopes to gain a spot on every Democratic primary ballot, although he knows his chances of winning the Democratic ticket are slim.

"I feel if I want to win the lottery, I have to buy a ticket," he said. "So if I want to win the presidency, I have to win some primaries."

Said Barbara Legas: "He's been talking about it for a year and a half, and I thought it would go away. But he's committed to it and feels strongly about it, so I've got to go along with it."